21 April Checked out the surfing beach in Pria del Pipa today which was good but otherwise relaxed like 95% of the population.
22 April Booked our flight south from Recife to Salvador with the intention of going back to Lencois and hopefully doing another 3 day trek.
23 April Up and out at 6.30am to catch a minibus out of Pria De Pipa. It was obviously the same bus the workers use as 16 of us were jammed into a 12 seat mini van plus the space our 2 big backpacks took up. Anyway we eventually got to a small town called Guiyana where after breakfast we got our big bus 4 hours souh to Recife. Once at Recife, we got a taxi to the airport and we were back in Salvador 4 hours later. Amazing the flight was 16 times quicker than the bus and 2.5 times the price and boy is it worth it. When we arrived at the bus station in Salvador we booked our tickets back to Lencois for which we had a 6 hour wait. There was a shopping centre across the road and easily spent the 6 hours browsing the shops, eating gorgeous food at the chinese kilo restaurant (a buffet where your food is weighed and paid for by the kilo or part thereof) a few cold beers and then into the cinema for the new Nicholas cage movie `Knowing´ which was crap but great to sit in a cinema again, slightly inebriated and with a bag of M&Ms and it all in English. Great.
At 11.30pm we boarded our bus and we were on our way to to Lencois.
24 April We arrived back in Lencois at 5.30am and went to the same hostel. After a couple of hours sleep we went down to breakfast and surprised our teachers freinds with our return. We checked out going on a 3 day trak but nobody else was going. There were interesting 1 dayers for the following 2 days which we opted for instead.
25 April Went on a 6 hour hike along the river bed of the local river. The walk took us along the walls of the canyon and hopped and walked along the rocks to a big water fall. The dog from the hostel, Roy, joined us and was great to walk with a dog again.
26 April Happy Birthday Louise (my sister). 8 of us went on a Chacaca tour (Chacaca is a local spirit made with sugar cane and infused with fruits and various other flavours) We got to this remote Brazilian farm by an army style troop carrier 4WD to do the tour on how the stuff is made and of course some tasting. The day also included horse riding, Tubing, Gourmet breakfast, Lunch and snacks. The guide, driver & cook and all the food and utensils came in the jeep with us too.
27 & 28 April Quiet days again, not doing much other than booked our tickets out of Lencois tomorow morning.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Lencois to Natal
11 Apr Another quiet day here in Lencois, just hung around reading, chatting, eating and a few beers.
12 Apr Same as above but also went to waterfalls for a swim and was busy today as everybody is off work for Easter Sunday.
13 Apr I had a niggling toothache for the last few days and as it was Easter time etc, no dentists were open. So, down I went to the dentist this morning to see if he could sort it out. He was fuly booked for the day but Dan, my interpreter said I was in a lot of pain. He had a look that morning and said I desperately needed a crown but he could patch it up enough to get me home. I said that was fine and that afternoon I was on his chair again with me gob open. There was a receptionist on the front desk but he had no assistant, so I was holding the saliva sucker and passing him other things that were resting on my chest. He gave me an injection in the gum and 10 seconds later he asked me if my mouth was numb, I said no. Not being surprised as I reckoned the anesthetic would take a minute or two, and before I knew it he was putting another shot into me. I was numbed to hell for the rest of the day but the filling was in and the pain gone. Filling in Brazil: E13.50.
We booked our bus this evening and will be leaving Lencois tomorrow and working our way North to Recife.
14 Apr Caught our bus from Lencois and 4 hrs 30 mins later arrived at a bus station in a place called Feira de Santana where we needed to change buses. We had the usual problems trying to buy a bus ticket due to our lack of Portugese which is usually resolved with asking in Spanish and hoping they understand. Anyway, finally got our connecting bus a couple of hours later which was a total shit heap. For starters my seat was broken and was tilting downward ( so I kept sliding off the seat), I changed seats down toward the back of the bus near the toilet where that seat was broken too. The stink of piss from the toilet didnt help matters nor did the lad in front snorting and hocking his mucus. Then another lad who was not enjoying the snot chorus either decided to put his mp3 speaker phone on full blast to drown out the noise playing the most god awful brazilian shite. It was a 14hr bus journey and reckoned it was going to be a long night. I had two seats to myself and lay my head on the seat next to me and dreamt of how many smelly sweaty arses had been on this seat before my face. drool......
15 Apr After a long cold night (I was in my T shirt and the air con was on full blast) we arrived in Recife at about 11 am. Ater a train and another bus ride we arrived in our suburb, Olinda. We checked into our hostel, It had been 24 hours door to door and we were exhausted. It was a nice little suburb but we were there in off season and there was not a whole lot to do
16 Apr While we checking out this morning, the receptionist suggested that we travel with a Brazilian couple that were heading North too. They had a car and would be happy to give us a lift for a contribution towards petrol. They werent going as far north as us but agreed to drop us to the bus station in the town they were going to. We agreed and 4 adults with big bags squeezed into this Opel Corsa. They were nice people but didnt speak any English and we were the same so it was a journey of canned laughter and lots of waving and gestures. Along the way the driver stopped to ask a police man for directions, the cop asked why he was going there as it was not a particularly nice place to visit and suggested Pria De Pipa (where we were going. Go on the Guards!) so our trip half way turned out to be all the way to our hostel. It took 4 hours whereas the bus journey door to door takes 10. Pria del Pipa seems like a nice town, a bit on the touristy side but we dont mind that so much. With tourism comes comfort.
17 Apr We didnt do a great deal today. Pria del Pipa is quiet too, which is probably the way things are in North Brazil at the moment.
18 Apr We decided to continue North this morning to a place called Pointe Negro. We had to go to a city a couple hours North and then take a local bus to PN. Once in PN we checked into a hostel that was built as a mock castle with drawbridge and moate. Inside it was castle like, with slit windows and dark rooms. It was a nice idea but there were no common areas and socialising was done in the pub or your room. I was chatting (if you could call it that) to a Brazilian guy, with very little English, in our room and on hearing that I was Irish he says `Oh yes, like William Wallace in Braveheart´ I just agreed, not relishing a misunderstood explanation that indeed Mr Wallace was a Scotsman. We had a look around the area, booked a Dune buggy trip around the local sand dunes and ate the most amazing pizza I ever had.
19 Apr Up and out this morning for our Dune buggy trip at 9am. We were put with these 2 Brazilian girls as the buggys take 4 people plus the driver. It should be renamed the `Dune nothin´ trip as the 8 hour day trip had about 2 hours actual driving and about half of that on the sand. The rest of the trip involved stopping at views, an aquarium and swimming spots that were mobile shopping centres and all opportunities to squeeze more cash out of the tourist were employed. We finally stopped for a late lunch at a place that charged E10 for dinner, less than E5 was the norm. Of course there, the drivers are wined and dined for free. All that said the actual sand buggying was great craic but was a disapointing trip.
20 Apr We left Pointe Negro today having decided it was pointless going further North as the rains were getting heavier and more frequent and was definitely low season. We are going to work our way South again and we stopped in Pria de Pipa again for a few days.
12 Apr Same as above but also went to waterfalls for a swim and was busy today as everybody is off work for Easter Sunday.
13 Apr I had a niggling toothache for the last few days and as it was Easter time etc, no dentists were open. So, down I went to the dentist this morning to see if he could sort it out. He was fuly booked for the day but Dan, my interpreter said I was in a lot of pain. He had a look that morning and said I desperately needed a crown but he could patch it up enough to get me home. I said that was fine and that afternoon I was on his chair again with me gob open. There was a receptionist on the front desk but he had no assistant, so I was holding the saliva sucker and passing him other things that were resting on my chest. He gave me an injection in the gum and 10 seconds later he asked me if my mouth was numb, I said no. Not being surprised as I reckoned the anesthetic would take a minute or two, and before I knew it he was putting another shot into me. I was numbed to hell for the rest of the day but the filling was in and the pain gone. Filling in Brazil: E13.50.
We booked our bus this evening and will be leaving Lencois tomorrow and working our way North to Recife.
14 Apr Caught our bus from Lencois and 4 hrs 30 mins later arrived at a bus station in a place called Feira de Santana where we needed to change buses. We had the usual problems trying to buy a bus ticket due to our lack of Portugese which is usually resolved with asking in Spanish and hoping they understand. Anyway, finally got our connecting bus a couple of hours later which was a total shit heap. For starters my seat was broken and was tilting downward ( so I kept sliding off the seat), I changed seats down toward the back of the bus near the toilet where that seat was broken too. The stink of piss from the toilet didnt help matters nor did the lad in front snorting and hocking his mucus. Then another lad who was not enjoying the snot chorus either decided to put his mp3 speaker phone on full blast to drown out the noise playing the most god awful brazilian shite. It was a 14hr bus journey and reckoned it was going to be a long night. I had two seats to myself and lay my head on the seat next to me and dreamt of how many smelly sweaty arses had been on this seat before my face. drool......
15 Apr After a long cold night (I was in my T shirt and the air con was on full blast) we arrived in Recife at about 11 am. Ater a train and another bus ride we arrived in our suburb, Olinda. We checked into our hostel, It had been 24 hours door to door and we were exhausted. It was a nice little suburb but we were there in off season and there was not a whole lot to do
16 Apr While we checking out this morning, the receptionist suggested that we travel with a Brazilian couple that were heading North too. They had a car and would be happy to give us a lift for a contribution towards petrol. They werent going as far north as us but agreed to drop us to the bus station in the town they were going to. We agreed and 4 adults with big bags squeezed into this Opel Corsa. They were nice people but didnt speak any English and we were the same so it was a journey of canned laughter and lots of waving and gestures. Along the way the driver stopped to ask a police man for directions, the cop asked why he was going there as it was not a particularly nice place to visit and suggested Pria De Pipa (where we were going. Go on the Guards!) so our trip half way turned out to be all the way to our hostel. It took 4 hours whereas the bus journey door to door takes 10. Pria del Pipa seems like a nice town, a bit on the touristy side but we dont mind that so much. With tourism comes comfort.
17 Apr We didnt do a great deal today. Pria del Pipa is quiet too, which is probably the way things are in North Brazil at the moment.
18 Apr We decided to continue North this morning to a place called Pointe Negro. We had to go to a city a couple hours North and then take a local bus to PN. Once in PN we checked into a hostel that was built as a mock castle with drawbridge and moate. Inside it was castle like, with slit windows and dark rooms. It was a nice idea but there were no common areas and socialising was done in the pub or your room. I was chatting (if you could call it that) to a Brazilian guy, with very little English, in our room and on hearing that I was Irish he says `Oh yes, like William Wallace in Braveheart´ I just agreed, not relishing a misunderstood explanation that indeed Mr Wallace was a Scotsman. We had a look around the area, booked a Dune buggy trip around the local sand dunes and ate the most amazing pizza I ever had.
19 Apr Up and out this morning for our Dune buggy trip at 9am. We were put with these 2 Brazilian girls as the buggys take 4 people plus the driver. It should be renamed the `Dune nothin´ trip as the 8 hour day trip had about 2 hours actual driving and about half of that on the sand. The rest of the trip involved stopping at views, an aquarium and swimming spots that were mobile shopping centres and all opportunities to squeeze more cash out of the tourist were employed. We finally stopped for a late lunch at a place that charged E10 for dinner, less than E5 was the norm. Of course there, the drivers are wined and dined for free. All that said the actual sand buggying was great craic but was a disapointing trip.
20 Apr We left Pointe Negro today having decided it was pointless going further North as the rains were getting heavier and more frequent and was definitely low season. We are going to work our way South again and we stopped in Pria de Pipa again for a few days.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Holed up in Lencois
04 Apr Went on a one day tour of the area with 3 Israelis, 4 Germans and us 2 Paddys. Our mode of transport was an ancient VW bus that struggled all the way pulling 10 lads around the place and even broke down a few times. Along the way to our first attraction a bird flew in front of us and we hit it head on. We stopped and walked back to see if it was dead or if it could be saved. Not sure what type of bird it was but it was some sort of small hawk. The guide inspected the bird and told us, other than a cut on his leg, it had a broken wing. We put it in the van and the guide said he´d bring him home and try to get him better. Down the road a bit more the bird started squaking like a mad thing ( probably the shock subsiding and the pain hitting home) and jumping and flapping, with his one good wing, around the van. It was hilarious pandamonium, but the driver took it to the reception of the first attraction and as the staff were taking a look at it, it had a heart attack and died. Poor auld thing was terrified and probably wondered how its life had changed and ended in a matter of minutes.
Anyway we went down these caves and saw staligtites and staligmites and the silence down there, when the guide turned off the lights and told us to be quiet, was deafining.
Later on we went to rock pools where we swam and up this mountain for views of the surrounding valleys. It was a crap enough tour but had good craic with the lads.
05 Apr This morning at about 3am, I was awoken to the loudest bang Id ever heard in my life. It is coming into rainy season here and the thunder and lightening storms at night are getting more common. At the same time as that loud bang a bolt of lightening hit a hostel down the road and blew a hole in the concrete floor 6 inches across. All their electrics were melted and all appliances that had been plugged in were fried. All the rains of that night required us to take the 40 minute trek to the nearby river (known as the waterslide river, due to its natural waterslides) to watch the raging torrents swirl their way downstream. It was great craic hopping in and out of the pools enjoying natural swirlpools and jacuzzis. The water was really brown and is apparently full of healing minerals as the previous nights rainwater mixed with the forest floor which is on the outer edge of the Amazon.
That evening, Fiachra and a few of the other lads booked a 3 day trek for the following day into the national park. I decided to opt out of it as they were sleeping out in the open and probably going to get drowned at night.
06 Apr Today I went to the school for another morning of teaching the local kids. My job was to entertain and occupy the youngest kids (5+) while the teachers helped the older kids with their English and Maths. I had a pack of cards and played `Match the numbers´ i.e. put all the fours together and all the kings together etc. After a few rounds of that I moved onto `Snap´. They had never played it before and once they got a hang of it they were screaming with delight and hitting the table as hard as they could with their hands. The youngest ones were slamming down their hands and shouting snap even when there was no match. They couldnt undestand that they were not allowed have the cards. As I did not have the Portugese to explain it to them the older ones thankfully did that job. At the end of their 2 hour day (I was exhausted) I told them it would be poker tomorrow and to bring their pocket money.
That afternoon we (me and the teachers) went to the once weekly market but although it was interesting to see, I wasnt in the market for fish heads, boxes of un recognisable vegetables or chinese radio cassette players.
07 Apr Went on a one day hike today to see the Fumasa waterfall. It is a waterfall so high that the water turns to mist before it reaches the bottom. Getting there involves a 140km round trip by car and a 14km round trip walk from the car park to the fall. The waterfall was impressive enough but nothing like what Id seen before. Getting their was very scenic and the walking trails were lovely but the biggest laugh of the day was from this American girl. She asked me over lunch what the guides name was, as she had forgotten. I told her it was `Frango´ which means chicken in Portugese. We were howling with laughter as the guide was too polite to correct her and she was going on to him Frango this and Frango that.
08 Apr Is it that time of the year again? I spent a good deal of time this morning replying to birthday emails. I never knew how many one gets through Facebook. That evening the day was celebrated, over a few drinks in town, with a few people from the hostel.
09 Apr As we are pretty much stuck here over the Easter, Buses are booked out and nothing much happens in a Catholic country like Brazil at this time. The days are spent pottering about not doing anything much in particular.
10 Apr See above and add a visit to the waterslides and lots of people in town for the Easter break.
Anyway we went down these caves and saw staligtites and staligmites and the silence down there, when the guide turned off the lights and told us to be quiet, was deafining.
Later on we went to rock pools where we swam and up this mountain for views of the surrounding valleys. It was a crap enough tour but had good craic with the lads.
05 Apr This morning at about 3am, I was awoken to the loudest bang Id ever heard in my life. It is coming into rainy season here and the thunder and lightening storms at night are getting more common. At the same time as that loud bang a bolt of lightening hit a hostel down the road and blew a hole in the concrete floor 6 inches across. All their electrics were melted and all appliances that had been plugged in were fried. All the rains of that night required us to take the 40 minute trek to the nearby river (known as the waterslide river, due to its natural waterslides) to watch the raging torrents swirl their way downstream. It was great craic hopping in and out of the pools enjoying natural swirlpools and jacuzzis. The water was really brown and is apparently full of healing minerals as the previous nights rainwater mixed with the forest floor which is on the outer edge of the Amazon.
That evening, Fiachra and a few of the other lads booked a 3 day trek for the following day into the national park. I decided to opt out of it as they were sleeping out in the open and probably going to get drowned at night.
06 Apr Today I went to the school for another morning of teaching the local kids. My job was to entertain and occupy the youngest kids (5+) while the teachers helped the older kids with their English and Maths. I had a pack of cards and played `Match the numbers´ i.e. put all the fours together and all the kings together etc. After a few rounds of that I moved onto `Snap´. They had never played it before and once they got a hang of it they were screaming with delight and hitting the table as hard as they could with their hands. The youngest ones were slamming down their hands and shouting snap even when there was no match. They couldnt undestand that they were not allowed have the cards. As I did not have the Portugese to explain it to them the older ones thankfully did that job. At the end of their 2 hour day (I was exhausted) I told them it would be poker tomorrow and to bring their pocket money.
That afternoon we (me and the teachers) went to the once weekly market but although it was interesting to see, I wasnt in the market for fish heads, boxes of un recognisable vegetables or chinese radio cassette players.
07 Apr Went on a one day hike today to see the Fumasa waterfall. It is a waterfall so high that the water turns to mist before it reaches the bottom. Getting there involves a 140km round trip by car and a 14km round trip walk from the car park to the fall. The waterfall was impressive enough but nothing like what Id seen before. Getting their was very scenic and the walking trails were lovely but the biggest laugh of the day was from this American girl. She asked me over lunch what the guides name was, as she had forgotten. I told her it was `Frango´ which means chicken in Portugese. We were howling with laughter as the guide was too polite to correct her and she was going on to him Frango this and Frango that.
08 Apr Is it that time of the year again? I spent a good deal of time this morning replying to birthday emails. I never knew how many one gets through Facebook. That evening the day was celebrated, over a few drinks in town, with a few people from the hostel.
09 Apr As we are pretty much stuck here over the Easter, Buses are booked out and nothing much happens in a Catholic country like Brazil at this time. The days are spent pottering about not doing anything much in particular.
10 Apr See above and add a visit to the waterslides and lots of people in town for the Easter break.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Salvador and around
Mar 27
Being totally honest, Im not all that impressed with Salvador. It has all the hallmarks of a once fabulous city but now is looking quite decrepid. We had a look around the local plazas, cobbled streets and down around the harbour. We decided to visit this particular church, Iglesia San Francisco. It was of particular interest as they disgruntled slaves that were used in its construction, 400 years ago, decided to paint large genitals and pregnant bellys on the cherubs for the laugh.
When we arrived at the church this mad cross eyed old woman started following us around and occaisionally saying a few words and taking advantage of our politeness launched into a full tour. Of course we didnt request nor want her services (payment expected) and we started walking off in different directions. She asked me where we were from and I replied `Ireland´. She said `Oh you people from England never listen!´ We nearly choked and this made her worse. She stormed off and started shouting `Why do you bother coming here, have a nice flight home!´ ..... wierdo
Mar 28
This morning we left Salvador for Morro Sao Paulo, an island 90 mins away by speedboat. Its a popular tourist attraction as there are no cars and the roads are mostly sandy lanes. The taxi service are wheelbarrows only and whilst mostly used for luggage Ive seen it used to carry lazy kids, used as an ambulance and delivery truck. Everything on the island is done by handball (A term used to describe heavy labour with no mechanical help) and black Afro Brazilians carrying and pushing heavy loads all day with white tourists wandering around. Seems so unfair and perhaps a glimpse into what the days of slavery may have looked like. We had a wander around that night and although there were a few musicians in the restaurants etc., there was not much else to do for `active relaxers´ like us.
Mar 29
Had a lie in this morning and after a late breakfast we decided to take a walk around the island. We walked through the midday heat (35C+) on the sandy roads. The sand was soft and hard to walk in and was so hot it started to melt my flip flops. This was to last for 3 hours trekking through little villages, up and down sand hills and met no tourists (obviously off the beaten track or the only eejits not in their hotels with the a/c on) I was sweating like a squished sponge while the local kids were running around oblivious to it all.
Mar 30
Went on a boat trip at 9.30am with a good crowd but they all spoke Portugese except 3 Swiss girls which we chatted to. We visited some reefs for swimming and snorkeling, stopped in a lovely place called Boipeba for lunch and this historical town for an hour on the way back which consisted of 2 run down churches of little Architectural signifiance, and 22 unofficial tour guides asking for money. On the way home we stopped at this raft that was just offshore and they had fresh oyster tasting for E1.50 each. I declined.
That evening after a siesta we went down the town and met all the people from our tour again by accident, short akward conversations though with their lack of English and our absence of Portugese. I decided that night to invest in a new pair of swimming togs to replace the ones that I bought in 2006 on the O´Donnellan & Joyce Christmas party at the Westport House hotel leisure centre. They once were black but now a pale shade of grey and 9 inches shorter on the leg that the new `board shorts´togs that double up as everyday wear. We found this shop that the local used for beachwear and saw a pair for R55 (E18). After trying them on and about to break the news of a successful sale to the shop assistant, Frog whipped out the cash and paid for them granting me an early birthday present. Damn, I should have picked the ones for R105 (E35).
Mar 31
Left Morro Sao Paulo this morning bound for Salvador again. There were 11 passengers on board and 3 of them were puking there guts up. It was hard not to laugh but fortunately for us we had got our sea legs after 8 days on water in the Gallapagos.
Tuesday night is a big party night in our suburb (Pelourgrino) of Salvador. We went out onto the streets and mingled with the throws of dancing tourists and locals drinking beer and following these gangs of roaming drummers through the streets. We then went to an open air concert with more of the same enthusiastic locals and tourists drinking and dancing.
01 Apr
We left Salvador late this afternoon for a bus to Lencois, 6 hours west away from the coast. I was not too sad to be leaving Salvador as the heat and humidity was very uncomfortable. Lying in bed at night with no covers and the sweat on your back would make the sheets stick while you turned over. Prickly heat rash is common where sweat cannot escape (eg: armpits, the folds of your knees and elbows etc) and unable to take off your tshirt because it stuck with sweat is another common one.
We got to Lencois in the welcome comfort of an air conditioned bus at about 10.30pm, not an ideal time to be arriving in a new place and set about trying to find the guide book reccommended hostel. The guide book map was wrong and we were wandering around these dark shanty town streets looking for our accommodation. Thankfully its a safe quiet spot and eventually found it. Many of the streets cant be navigated by anything else but by foot and were all uphill from the bus station, so we were completely knackered, carrying our 20kg backpacks, by the time we got there.
02 Apr
It was raining this morning so we abandoned our walking plans and spent the day exploring the town and the rock formations up river once the rain stopped. My flip flops, that I bought in Thailand, were worn down to nothing so I bought a pair of the local `Havianas´ flip flops, not that they will disguise me as anything else but a tourist but they were needed badly.
03 Apr
We went to the local school to do a days volunteers work. As its was a Friday, it was arts and crafts day so we were helping these kids (ages 9-12) with their painting. Of course they got on with it so we got ourselves some paper and brushes and started at it ourselves. Being the biggest kids at our table and once the boredom set in, I put paint on one of the girls hands for the craic. She painted me back and before we knew it paint was flying and WW3 broke out with the boys putting paint on the girls and vice versa. We stepped back and just as we did the teacher came in and sent 2 of the girls home for misbehaviour. Ooops! We were dying to laugh as these two young wans with paint on their faces, in their hair and clothes were marched out and fair play to them they never blamed anyone else.
Being totally honest, Im not all that impressed with Salvador. It has all the hallmarks of a once fabulous city but now is looking quite decrepid. We had a look around the local plazas, cobbled streets and down around the harbour. We decided to visit this particular church, Iglesia San Francisco. It was of particular interest as they disgruntled slaves that were used in its construction, 400 years ago, decided to paint large genitals and pregnant bellys on the cherubs for the laugh.
When we arrived at the church this mad cross eyed old woman started following us around and occaisionally saying a few words and taking advantage of our politeness launched into a full tour. Of course we didnt request nor want her services (payment expected) and we started walking off in different directions. She asked me where we were from and I replied `Ireland´. She said `Oh you people from England never listen!´ We nearly choked and this made her worse. She stormed off and started shouting `Why do you bother coming here, have a nice flight home!´ ..... wierdo
Mar 28
This morning we left Salvador for Morro Sao Paulo, an island 90 mins away by speedboat. Its a popular tourist attraction as there are no cars and the roads are mostly sandy lanes. The taxi service are wheelbarrows only and whilst mostly used for luggage Ive seen it used to carry lazy kids, used as an ambulance and delivery truck. Everything on the island is done by handball (A term used to describe heavy labour with no mechanical help) and black Afro Brazilians carrying and pushing heavy loads all day with white tourists wandering around. Seems so unfair and perhaps a glimpse into what the days of slavery may have looked like. We had a wander around that night and although there were a few musicians in the restaurants etc., there was not much else to do for `active relaxers´ like us.
Mar 29
Had a lie in this morning and after a late breakfast we decided to take a walk around the island. We walked through the midday heat (35C+) on the sandy roads. The sand was soft and hard to walk in and was so hot it started to melt my flip flops. This was to last for 3 hours trekking through little villages, up and down sand hills and met no tourists (obviously off the beaten track or the only eejits not in their hotels with the a/c on) I was sweating like a squished sponge while the local kids were running around oblivious to it all.
Mar 30
Went on a boat trip at 9.30am with a good crowd but they all spoke Portugese except 3 Swiss girls which we chatted to. We visited some reefs for swimming and snorkeling, stopped in a lovely place called Boipeba for lunch and this historical town for an hour on the way back which consisted of 2 run down churches of little Architectural signifiance, and 22 unofficial tour guides asking for money. On the way home we stopped at this raft that was just offshore and they had fresh oyster tasting for E1.50 each. I declined.
That evening after a siesta we went down the town and met all the people from our tour again by accident, short akward conversations though with their lack of English and our absence of Portugese. I decided that night to invest in a new pair of swimming togs to replace the ones that I bought in 2006 on the O´Donnellan & Joyce Christmas party at the Westport House hotel leisure centre. They once were black but now a pale shade of grey and 9 inches shorter on the leg that the new `board shorts´togs that double up as everyday wear. We found this shop that the local used for beachwear and saw a pair for R55 (E18). After trying them on and about to break the news of a successful sale to the shop assistant, Frog whipped out the cash and paid for them granting me an early birthday present. Damn, I should have picked the ones for R105 (E35).
Mar 31
Left Morro Sao Paulo this morning bound for Salvador again. There were 11 passengers on board and 3 of them were puking there guts up. It was hard not to laugh but fortunately for us we had got our sea legs after 8 days on water in the Gallapagos.
Tuesday night is a big party night in our suburb (Pelourgrino) of Salvador. We went out onto the streets and mingled with the throws of dancing tourists and locals drinking beer and following these gangs of roaming drummers through the streets. We then went to an open air concert with more of the same enthusiastic locals and tourists drinking and dancing.
01 Apr
We left Salvador late this afternoon for a bus to Lencois, 6 hours west away from the coast. I was not too sad to be leaving Salvador as the heat and humidity was very uncomfortable. Lying in bed at night with no covers and the sweat on your back would make the sheets stick while you turned over. Prickly heat rash is common where sweat cannot escape (eg: armpits, the folds of your knees and elbows etc) and unable to take off your tshirt because it stuck with sweat is another common one.
We got to Lencois in the welcome comfort of an air conditioned bus at about 10.30pm, not an ideal time to be arriving in a new place and set about trying to find the guide book reccommended hostel. The guide book map was wrong and we were wandering around these dark shanty town streets looking for our accommodation. Thankfully its a safe quiet spot and eventually found it. Many of the streets cant be navigated by anything else but by foot and were all uphill from the bus station, so we were completely knackered, carrying our 20kg backpacks, by the time we got there.
02 Apr
It was raining this morning so we abandoned our walking plans and spent the day exploring the town and the rock formations up river once the rain stopped. My flip flops, that I bought in Thailand, were worn down to nothing so I bought a pair of the local `Havianas´ flip flops, not that they will disguise me as anything else but a tourist but they were needed badly.
03 Apr
We went to the local school to do a days volunteers work. As its was a Friday, it was arts and crafts day so we were helping these kids (ages 9-12) with their painting. Of course they got on with it so we got ourselves some paper and brushes and started at it ourselves. Being the biggest kids at our table and once the boredom set in, I put paint on one of the girls hands for the craic. She painted me back and before we knew it paint was flying and WW3 broke out with the boys putting paint on the girls and vice versa. We stepped back and just as we did the teacher came in and sent 2 of the girls home for misbehaviour. Ooops! We were dying to laugh as these two young wans with paint on their faces, in their hair and clothes were marched out and fair play to them they never blamed anyone else.
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